With the Cleveland Cavaliers no longer an option for Amar’e Stoudemire, the Phoenix Suns are prepared to keep their All-Star forward through Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Unless a trade materializes before Thursday afternoon, Stoudemire very well could spend the rest of the season in Phoenix.

“I think it’s 50-50 at best with Cleveland out of it,” said Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters.

By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports The San Antonio Spurs are trying to unload Antonio McDyess and the remaining $7.5 million owed him after this season to possibly clear a way to make a trade for Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs have been searching for expiring deals to move McDyess, who will make $4.9 million next season and is guaranteed about $2.6 million in 2011-12. Trading McDyess would free minutes and give them greater flexibility to re-sign Thomas this summer if they want. Thomas would give the Spurs a younger, more athletic complement to Tim Duncan, and could be part of a future frontline with former first-round pick Tiago Splitter and rookie DeJuan Blair.

The Spurs are also shopping Roger Mason, who is in the final season of his contract, with the help of Mason’s agent. In addition to Mason, they have a number of other expiring contracts – Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Ian Mahinmi among them – to possibly offer the Bulls.

By Doug Smith, Toronto StarChris Bosh will get on a plane with the rest of the Raptors Thursday afternoon and head to the New York area for a game in New Jersey.

The flight will coincide with the NBA's 3 p.m. trade deadline, and if Bosh gets to his hotel and his 13 teammates are the same as the ones he left with, he'll be fine with that.

"I'd be happy if we didn't make a trade. I think we're playing well and the different guys we have at each position are doing well, so I don't know if we need one," Bosh said after his sparkling performance in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game.FULL ARTICLE

When the Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Ricky Rubio at No. 5 -- and then immediately took fellow PG Jonny Flynn at No. 6 -- it may have been the start of an interesting journey that could end with at least one of the rookies lpaying elsewhere.

Rubio first has a contract buyout to negotiate with his former team in Europe, which Timberwolves basketball operations vice president David Kahn says will be an "interesting ride," according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

For Rubio, staying in Europe is apparently not out of the question, either.

"Right now I wouldn't rule out at all returning to Spain," El Pais quoted him as saying.

He also said he might be willing to postpone his debut with the Timberwolves a bit.

"It's a team that would even wait a year for me, so we'll see if I come over next year or not."

The Sacramento Bee speculated that Rubio was disappointed with the Kings passed him up with the No. 4 pick, and even more dejected with Minnesota claimed him. Confusing the issue even further was the selection of Flynn right afterward. Kahn said he would like to pair up Flynn and Rubio in the backcourt, but others speculate that the Wolves will try to deal Rubio or Flynn.

As far as Rubio's apparent disappointment with being selected by Minnesota, the Star Tribune quoted Kahn as saying it's not the location that's the issue.

"I don't think its a destination problem," he said. "I really don"t. I believe he would have been more than happy to play in Oklahoma City, and with all due respect to Oklahoma City."

However, the San Antonio Spurs are also in the mix for a potential Carter trade. Sources tell the Bergen Record that the Spurs are willing to send Roger Mason, Jr. , George Hill and Bruce Bowen to the Nets in order to get Carter, although such a deal would require the Nets to make some additional moves to clear space on the roster.

No deal is said to be imminent, but with the deadline on Thursday, talks are expected to Heat up quickly.

At a practice session on Monday, Phoenix Suns General Manager Steve Kerr gave his players the impression that he is no longer seriously considering trading Amare Stoudemire in the wake of his dismissal of former head coach Terry Porter on Sunday.

"I'd like to keep what we have and go forward and see what we can do," Kerr said, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.

While talk has swirled in recent days that the Suns were flooded with a series of underwhelming offers for Stoudemire, the Chicago Bulls -- often regarded as a frontrunner in the Stoudemire sweepstakes -- may now be content to do without the All-Star.

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports that the Bulls have reconsidered how wise a trade for Stoudemire would be at this stage, with the Suns' high demands and the Bulls improving without Stoudemire. The story speculated that the Bulls may now set their sights on a player that offers better value at a cheaper price tag, or simply hold off on any deal and try to make a run at Chris Bosh when he becomes a free agent in 2010.

The Sacramento Bee reports that the rumored trade sending veteran Sam Cassell from the Celtics to the Kings is almost finalized -- perhaps to be announced on Tuesday -- but there are some issues left to be ironed out in the deal.

Reports have stated that Cassell will go to Sacramento along with cash considerations, and in return, the Celtics will get a future second-round pick. Cassell is in the final year of his contract and has yet to play in a game this season, but his experience on championship teams could be a valuable asset to the Kings roster.

However, the Bee adds that the Kings' motivation in making this deal is still not entirely clear, and that it's possible Cassell could be waived before he arrives in Sacramento or he could become a part of some larger deal the Kings have in store.

The New York Daily News reports that the Knicks are interested in trading for Anthony Randolph , but notes that the Warriors may not be willing to part with the first-year forward.

The story says that with the clock winding down on the Knicks' chances to upgrade their roster this season, Donnie Walsh may opt to trade David Lee or Nate Robinson , both of whom become restricted free agents this summer. Stephon Marbury 's expiring contract remains a possible trade option, but as always, the Knicks situation with Marbury is a complicated one.